Is Duterte behind impeachment threats? Sereno reacts

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has turned to humor when confronted by a question on whether President Rodrigo Duterte has a hand in the threats to remove her from office.

At a town hall meeting in Cebu City on Thursday, Sereno deflected a query from a reporter who asked if she has received "feelers" regarding the President's possible involvement in the filing of an impeachment complaint against her at the House of Representatives.

"You know you want chismis already. I will not give you that satisfaction. Case closed," Sereno said, eliciting laughter from the crowd of students and media in the University of San Carlos-Talamban campus.

She said Duterte deserves to be respected since he is the country's leader.

"He's the President of the Philippines. We owe him all respect and the fact that he has mandate to lead, we must observe what the Constitution says. I'm very professional in my dealings with all officials of government. The Constitution is a sufficient guide to help me in my conduct," Sereno said.

Sereno is already facing an impeachment complaint from the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution Inc (VPCI) on the grounds of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution, but it has yet to get an endorsement from a House member.

The chief justice shrugged off the impeachment threat, saying she was not affected by it and that she had a clear conscience.

Sereno also said that she had been prudent in the use of the judiciary funds and that she did not live beyond her means. — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News